The 20 Greatest Chicago Cubs of All-Time

Posted on July 2, 2019 by Dave Franks One comment

Possibly the most beloved team in all of professional sports playing in one of the most iconic stadiums in sports history seems like a setting for loads of championships and dozens of hall of famers. Yet, here we are and the Cubs have won two World Championships in past 110 years. Without the tough luck over the past 100 years, they may not be the “loveable losers”. Maybe it’s the losing that has endeared them within the sports landscape. The perennial underdog even when they have more talent than the opponent. The world loves the Cubs.

Eligibility for position players requires 1,500 plate appearances, starting pitchers require 100 games started, and relief pitchers require 300 innings pitched.

Ron Santo

Age: 20 – 33
Years: 1960 – 1973
Position(s): 3B

Ron Santo
WAR	wRC+	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
72.03	128	2126	8979	7768	1109	2171	353	66	337	1290	35	1071	1271	.279	.365	.472	.837

Ernie Banks

Age: 22 – 40
Years: 1953 – 1971
Position(s): 1B, SS, 3B

Ernie Banks
WAR	wRC+	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
67.44	118	2528	10395	9421	1305	2583	407	90	512	1636	50	763	1236	.274	.328	.499	.828

Sammy Sosa

Age: 23 – 35
Years: 1992 – 2004
Position(s): RF, CF

Sammy Sosa
WAR	wRC+	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
58.54	134	1811	7898	6990	1245	1985	296	32	545	1414	181	798	1815	.284	.357	.569	.927

Billy Williams

Age: 21 – 36
Years: 1959 – 1974
Position(s): LF, RF, 1B

Billy Williams
WAR	wRC+	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
61.65	134	2213	9504	8479	1306	2510	402	87	392	1353	86	911	934	.296	.364	.502	.866

Ryne Sandberg

Age: 22 – 34, 36 – 37
Years: 1982 – 1994, 1996 – 1997
Position(s): 2B, 3B

Ryne Sandberg
WAR	wRC+	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
67.66	115	2151	9276	8379	1316	2385	403	76	282	1061	344	761	1259	.285	.342	.451	.794

Mordecai Brown

Age: 27 – 35, 39
Years: 1904 – 1912, 1916
Position(s): SP

Mordecai Brown
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	SO %	WHIP
45.33	64	346	241	188	86	1.80	2329	206	48	39	679	465	445	1043	10.3%	1.00

Frank Chance

Age: 21 – 35
Years: 1898 – 1912
Position(s): 1B, C, RF

Frank Chance
WAR	wRC+	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
42.65	140	1101	4504	3785	699	1128	181	71	18	541	375	509	28	.298	.388	.397	.785

Hack Wilson

Age: 26 – 31
Years: 1926 – 1931
Position(s): CF, LF

Hack Wilson
WAR	wRC+	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
31.09	153	850	3719	3154	652	1017	185	44	190	769	34	463	461	.322	.402	.589	.992

Ferguson Jenkins

Age: 23 – 30, 39 – 40
Years: 1966 – 1973, 1982 – 1983
Position(s): SP

Fergie Jenkins
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	SO %	WHIP
49.87	84	401	347	167	132	3.20	2673.2	154	29	6	1061	952	600	2038	18.7%	1.12

Pete Alexander

Age: 31 – 39
Years: 1918 – 1926
Position(s): SP

Pete Alexander
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	SO %	WHIP
41.82	76	242	223	128	83	2.84	1884.1	159	24	10	717	595	268	614	8.0%	1.16

Stan Hack

Age: 22 – 37
Years: 1932 – 1947
Position(s): 3B

Stan Hack
WAR	wRC+	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
52.52	124	1938	8506	7278	1239	2193	363	81	57	642	165	1092	466	.301	.388	.396	.785

Bill Nicholson

Age: 24 – 33
Years: 1939 – 1948
Position(s): RF

Bill Nicholson
WAR	wRC+	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
38.33	135	1349	5614	4857	738	1323	245	53	205	833	26	696	684	.272	.367	.471	.838

Hippo Vaughn

Age: 25 – 33
Years: 1913 – 1921
Position(s): SP

Hippo Vaughn
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	SO %	WHIP
40.68	79	305	270	151	105	2.33	2216.1	177	35	4	789	575	621	1138	12.1%	1.17

Gabby Hartnett

Age: 21 – 39
Years: 1922 – 1940
Position(s): C

Gabby Hartnett
WAR	wRC+	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
52.29	127	1926	7132	6282	847	1867	391	64	231	1153	28	691	683	.297	.363	.490	.853

Rick Reuschel

Age: 23 – 32, 34 – 35
Years: 1972 – 1981, 1983 – 1984
Position(s): SP

Rick Reuschel
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	SO %	WHIP
48.33	89	358	343	135	127	3.50	2290	65	17	3	1007	891	640	1367	14.1%	1.31

Mark Grace

Age: 24 – 36
Years: 1988 – 2000
Position(s): 1B

Mark Grace
WAR	wRC+	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
43.92	123	1910	8234	7156	1057	2201	456	43	148	1004	67	946	561	.308	.385	.445	.831

Anthony Rizzo

Age: 22 – 28
Years: 2012 – 2018
Position(s): 1B

Anthony Rizzo
WAR	wRC+	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
29.1	133	1012	4407	3774	565	1036	225	14	190	626	50	489	688	.275	.371	.492	.864

Carlos Zambrano

Age: 20 – 30
Years: 2001 – 2011
Position(s): SP

Carlos Zambrano
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	SO %	WHIP
37.91	83	319	282	125	81	3.60	1826.2	9	4	0	804	731	823	1542	19.8%	1.32

Billy Herman

Age: 21 – 31
Years: 1931 – 1941
Position(s): 2B

Billy Herman
WAR	wRC+	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
39.74	114	1344	6166	5532	875	1710	346	69	37	577	53	470	282	.309	.357	.416	.774

Ed Reulbach

Age: 22 – 30
Years: 1905 – 1913
Position(s): SP

Ed Reulbach
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	SO %	WHIP
32.72	79	281	216	136	65	2.24	1864.2	150	31	9	606	464	650	799	.%	1.13

tagged with Anthony Rizzo, Bill Nicholson, Billy Herman, Billy Williams, Carlos Zambrano, Ed Reulbach, Ernie Banks, Fergie Jenkins, Frank Chance, Gabby Hartnett, Hack Wilson, Hippo Vaughn, Mark Grace, Mordecai Brown, Pete Alexander, Rick Reuschel, Ron Santo, Ryne Sandberg, Sammy Sosa, Stan Hack

One comment

Brian Powell
July 21, 2019 9:11 pm

Cap Anson is an obvious omission. He still is the all-time Cubs leader in WAR, even if they were rarely called that during his tenure. Evers and Tinker may well belong on the list ahead of Nicholson. What about Clark Griffith who won 152 games for the Cubs in the 1890s? Maybe someday Sammy Sosa will be welcomed back into the fold. It is hard to choose with so many good players over 140+ seasons of baseball. But Anson, Hullbert, and Spalding created the major leagues for us.

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